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A estação do neolítico antigo de Cabranosa (Sagres) : contribuição para o estudo da neolitização do Algarve
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Authors
Carvalho, António Faustino
Cardoso, João Luís
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Este trabalho corresponde ao
desenvolvimento de um outro, recentemente
publicado, sobre a estação de Cabranosa. Este
último, no qual se estudou de forma sistemática,
o espólio arqueológico até ao presente recolhido,
permitiu considerar a existência, nos primórdios
do Neolitico antigo, datado na estação pelo
radiocarbono no terceiro quartel do VI milénio cal
BC, de uma comunidade que, sedeada no extremo
sudoeste da Península Ibérica, praticava já um
modo de vida de tendência sedentária, com a
presença de animais domésticos (cabra e/ou ovelha).
Esta constatação impunha a realização de um estudo
mais desenvolvido na perspectiva da integração
cultural da estação e do seu próprio significado, no
contexto geográfico regional e supra-regional em
que se insere.
O exercício comparativo efectuado permitiu concluir
que a produção cerâmica (que inclui vasos cardiais
produzidos localmente) se distingue, a vários títulos,
das produções homólogas do Neolítico antigo do
litoral alentejano e da Andaluzia ocidental,
geograficamente mais próximas, face às das fases
mais tardias do Neolítico cardial da Andaluzia
oriental e do País Valenciano, mais longínquas.
Também ao nível dos conjuntos de pedra lascada se
detectaram diferenças entre o recolhido na
Cabranosa e, de modo mais geral, os das estações
algarvias, face à realidade conhecida das estações do
litoral alentejano, na passagem do Mesolítico para o
Neolítico.
Os elementos referidos afiguram-se de importância
significativa na discussão dos modelos possíveis que
presidiram à neolitização do litoral meridional
português. No estado actual dos conhecimentos,
afigura-se provável a existência simultânea de duas
comunidades culturalmente distintas na referida
orla litoral: uma, mesolítica, de há muito
estabelecida em ecossistemas litorais, praticando
uma economia de caça-pesca-recolecção; outra, já
neolítica, estabelecida na faixa litoral algarvia, com
uma economia já de produção (pelo menos a
pastorícia e, muito provavelmente a agricultura),
portadora de uma cultura material diferente.
Posta nestes termos discussão, é forçoso concluir
que a génese do Neolitico no litoral algarvio (de que é paradigma a estação de Cabranosa) parece ter-se
ficado a dever à presença de grupos populacionais
oriundos possivelmente da costa levantina da
Península, os quais teriam interagido,
ulteriormente, com os já sedeados na região,
designadamente os que se dispersavam ao longo do
litoral alentejano. Porém, como é óbvio, a definição
cultural destes dois hipotéticos grupos está longe de
se poder considerar satisfatória, bem como
discutível se afigura, também, a cronologia do
referido processo de interacção: se, em meados do
VI milénio cal BC (se se considerarem os dados
cronométricos de Vale Pincel ou Medo Tojeiro), ou
apenas a partir do início do V milénio cal BC (a
aceitar-se somente os dados do concheiro do cabeço
das Amoreiras, no baixo vale do Sado). É admissível,
ainda, qualquer data intermédia, visto que o
concheiro das Amoreiras se situa já numa posição
periférica relativamente ao possível foco de
neolitização considerado, a partir do litoral algarvio.
A terminar, é feita breve alusão à emergência do
fenómeno megalítico regional: na estação de
Cabranosa, não se conhecem menires partilhando o
espaço de ocupação neolítica, situação que concorda
com os escassos indicadores cronológicos que fazer
corresponder, quando muito, ao Neolítico antigo
evoluído as primeiras manifestações megalíticas
(menires e sepulcros proto-megalíticos).
This work builds on earlier, recently published work on the site of Cabranosa. This earlier article, in which the available archaeological evidence was studied in a systematic way, permitted us to consider the existence, by the beginning of the Early Neolithic and radiocarhon dated to the third quarter of the 6th millennium BC, of a sedentary community with domestic animaIs (goat and/or sheep) in the extreme southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. This evidence stimulated a more developed study of the cultural integration of the site and its significance, in the regional and supra-regional geographic context in which it was situated. This comparative exercise allowed us to conclude that ceramic production (which includes locally produced Cardial vases) can be distinguished from the homologous products of the Early Neolithic of the Alentejo coast and eastern Andalucia, as well as the latest phases of the Cardial Neolithic of eastern Andalucia and of Valencia, further away. Furthermore, at the level of the flaked stone assemblages there were differences detected between those recovered in Cabranosa and, in general, those from others sites of the Algarve, and those sites known in the coastal Alentejo, between the Mesolithic and Neolithic. These cultural indicators contribute to our understanding of the possible factors that presided in the neolithization of the western Portuguese coast. In the present state of knowledge, it seems likely that there existed simultaneously two di stinct cultural communities in this area: one, Mesolithic, long-established in the coastal ecosystem, practicing an economy of hunting·fishing·gathering: the other, already Neolithic, established in the Algarve coast, with an economy of production (at least herding and, very likely agriculture), and a carrier of a different material culture. Placed in these terms, we must conclude that the genesis of the Neolithic in the Algarve coast (of which Cabranosa is paradigmatic) appears to have been related to the presence of populations possibly coming from the Levantine coast of the Peninsula, which were later integrated with those already based in the region, namely those which were dispersed along the Alentejo coast. Clearly, the cultural definition of these two possible groups is far from satisfactory, and the chronology of their interaction is debatable. It is unclear whether this interaction dates to the middle of the 6th millennium cal BC (if one considers the chronometric dates of Vale Pincel or Medo Tojeiro), or only from the beginning of the 5th millennium BC (if we only accept the dates of the shell-midden on the hill at Amoreiras, in the lower Sado valley). An intermediate date is even possible, given that the shell-midden of Amoreiras is already situated in a peripheral position, relative to the possible focus of Neolithization, from the Algarve coast. Finally, this article makes a brief reference to the emergence of a regional megalithic phenomenon. At the site of Cabranosa, there are no known menhirs that share its Neolithic occupational space, which is consistent with the scarce chronological evidence that the first megaliths (menhirs and proto-megalithic burials) correspond to, at the earliest, to the evolved Early Neolithic.
This work builds on earlier, recently published work on the site of Cabranosa. This earlier article, in which the available archaeological evidence was studied in a systematic way, permitted us to consider the existence, by the beginning of the Early Neolithic and radiocarhon dated to the third quarter of the 6th millennium BC, of a sedentary community with domestic animaIs (goat and/or sheep) in the extreme southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. This evidence stimulated a more developed study of the cultural integration of the site and its significance, in the regional and supra-regional geographic context in which it was situated. This comparative exercise allowed us to conclude that ceramic production (which includes locally produced Cardial vases) can be distinguished from the homologous products of the Early Neolithic of the Alentejo coast and eastern Andalucia, as well as the latest phases of the Cardial Neolithic of eastern Andalucia and of Valencia, further away. Furthermore, at the level of the flaked stone assemblages there were differences detected between those recovered in Cabranosa and, in general, those from others sites of the Algarve, and those sites known in the coastal Alentejo, between the Mesolithic and Neolithic. These cultural indicators contribute to our understanding of the possible factors that presided in the neolithization of the western Portuguese coast. In the present state of knowledge, it seems likely that there existed simultaneously two di stinct cultural communities in this area: one, Mesolithic, long-established in the coastal ecosystem, practicing an economy of hunting·fishing·gathering: the other, already Neolithic, established in the Algarve coast, with an economy of production (at least herding and, very likely agriculture), and a carrier of a different material culture. Placed in these terms, we must conclude that the genesis of the Neolithic in the Algarve coast (of which Cabranosa is paradigmatic) appears to have been related to the presence of populations possibly coming from the Levantine coast of the Peninsula, which were later integrated with those already based in the region, namely those which were dispersed along the Alentejo coast. Clearly, the cultural definition of these two possible groups is far from satisfactory, and the chronology of their interaction is debatable. It is unclear whether this interaction dates to the middle of the 6th millennium cal BC (if one considers the chronometric dates of Vale Pincel or Medo Tojeiro), or only from the beginning of the 5th millennium BC (if we only accept the dates of the shell-midden on the hill at Amoreiras, in the lower Sado valley). An intermediate date is even possible, given that the shell-midden of Amoreiras is already situated in a peripheral position, relative to the possible focus of Neolithization, from the Algarve coast. Finally, this article makes a brief reference to the emergence of a regional megalithic phenomenon. At the site of Cabranosa, there are no known menhirs that share its Neolithic occupational space, which is consistent with the scarce chronological evidence that the first megaliths (menhirs and proto-megalithic burials) correspond to, at the earliest, to the evolved Early Neolithic.
Description
Keywords
Arqueologia Escavações arqueológicas Período neolítico Espólio Litoral Algarve Portugal
Citation
Carvalho, António Faustino; Cardoso, João Luís - A estação do neolítico antigo de Cabranosa (Sagres) : contribuição para o estudo da neolitização do Algarve. In Congresso Internacional sobre Megalitismo, 2, Monsaraz, 2000 - "Origens, espaços e contextos do Megalitismo [Em linha] : actas". Editado po Victor S. Gonçalves. Lisboa : Instituto Português de Arqueologia, 2003. p. 23-43